Canton meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Board of Appeals cancelled; City Council agenda includes budget, annexation

Only one decision was reported from the past two weeks: the Board of Appeals cancelled its August 10 meeting because no quorum was present. No other decisions have been published, as several boards and the City Council held meetings but have not yet released minutes.

Board of Appeals cancelled

The Board of Appeals public hearing scheduled for August 10, 2026, was cancelled because a quorum was not present. No agenda items were considered, and no decisions were made.

City Council agenda

The City Council met on August 20 for both a regular meeting and a work session. The regular meeting agenda included discussion of the proposed FY 2027 budget and fee schedule, a fee waiver request from Canton First United Methodist Church for a construction project, and an annexation and rezoning request for approximately 62.17 acres at 680 and 700 Pearidge Road, from R-40 to Planned-Development Mixed Use. The agenda also listed an extension of the Downtown Entertainment District boundaries and consent agreements with Georgia Northeastern Railroad and Georgia Power for the Hickory Flat Gateway Project. The work session was dedicated to discussion of Unified Development Code (UDC) updates; no votes were scheduled.

Other boards

The Canton Tourism Board met on August 10 to review the proposed 2027 budget, consider sponsorship applications for the 2026 Riverfest and Denim Fest events, discuss a partnership with History Cherokee regarding the Salty Dog mascot, and review the marketing plan.

The Downtown Development Authority met on August 10 to discuss reimbursing the city for expenses and received updates on the Downtown Fire Station, the North Street Gateway Redevelopment Project (including quotes for hazardous materials remediation at the Cherokee North Property), and the Downtown Hotel RFP.

The Cultural Arts Commission met on August 10 to discuss the Heritage Park at Waleska Street Bridge Sculpture Project, the Utility Box Project, and future sculpture projects.

The Hickory Log Creek Reservoir Board of Managers met on August 14 to approve draft minutes from its June 12 meeting and receive an operations report.

None of these boards have published minutes, so no decisions are reported.

Coming up

The Board of Appeals will hold a work session on August 24, 2026, to consider a variance request for 110 Birchwood Drive to increase the maximum allowed driveway grade from 11% to 20.77%. The board will also review draft minutes from its July 27 work session and may introduce new topics.

Canton roundup: Board of Appeals cancelled; council to weigh budget, annexation

The only formal decision from Canton boards in the past two weeks was a cancellation: the Board of Appeals public hearing scheduled for Aug. 10 was called off because a quorum was not present. No substantive items were considered. Other meetings this period were agenda-only, with minutes not yet published.

Board of Appeals

The Aug. 10 public hearing was cancelled due to lack of quorum. The agenda, minutes, and public hearing items were not considered.

City Council

At its Aug. 6 meeting, the council held public hearings on several land-use items. These included a request to rezone 0.741 acres at 109 Railroad Street from Light-Industrial to Central Business District, and a request to annex and rezone 48.192 acres along Ball Ground Highway and Fate Conn Road for a 167-unit subdivision. The council also held a public hearing on the FY 2027 millage rate, considered a fee waiver for a Canton First United Methodist Church construction project, and discussed extending Downtown Entertainment District boundaries. No votes were recorded in the agenda; minutes have not been published.

Other boards and commissions

• **Historic Preservation Commission (Aug. 3):** Reviewed a demolition and reconstruction request for a deck at 570 East Main Street and proposed updates to Historic District Design Guidelines.
• **Canton Main Street Board (Aug. 5):** Considered a facade grant application for 361 E Main Street, approved a June/July reimbursement to the city, and discussed the Downtown Business Contact Postcard, Taste of Canton, and the Downtown Breakfast Club.
• **Canton Tourism Board (Aug. 10):** Reviewed the proposed 2027 budget, considered sponsorship applications for the 2026 Riverfest and Denim Fest, discussed a History Cherokee partnership involving the Salty Dog mascot, and reviewed the marketing plan.
• **Downtown Development Authority (Aug. 12):** Discussed reimbursing the city for expenses, received updates on the Downtown Fire Station, the North Street Gateway Redevelopment Project (including quotes for hazardous materials remediation at the Cherokee North Property), and the Downtown Hotel RFP.
• **Cultural Arts Commission (Aug. 12):** Discussed the Heritage Park at Waleska Street Bridge Sculpture Project, the Utility Box Project, and future sculpture projects.
• **Hickory Log Creek Reservoir Board of Managers (Aug. 14):** Approved draft minutes from June 12 and received an operations report. The agenda was largely procedural.

Coming up

The City Council meets Aug. 20 for a regular meeting and a work session. The regular meeting includes discussion and possible action on the FY 2027 proposed budget and fee schedule, a fee waiver request from Canton First United Methodist Church, and an informational item on annexing and rezoning about 62.17 acres at 680 and 700 Pearidge Road from R-40 to Planned-Development Mixed Use. Consent agenda items include extending Downtown Entertainment District boundaries and a preliminary engineering agreement with Georgia Northeastern Railroad for the Hickory Flat Gateway Project. The work session will discuss Unified Development Code updates; no votes are scheduled.

Canton City Council weighs rezonings, millage rate; boards review variances and grants

The Canton City Council met Aug. 6 for public hearings on rezonings, annexations, and the Fiscal Year 2027 millage rate, but minutes have not yet been published. The agenda included a request to rezone 0.741 acres at 109 Railroad Street from Light-Industrial to Central Business District, and a proposal to annex and rezone 48.192 acres along Ball Ground Highway and Fate Conn Road for a 167-unit subdivision. The council also considered waiving fees for a Canton First United Methodist Church construction project and discussed extending the Downtown Entertainment District boundaries. No votes or decisions have been released.

City Council

The Aug. 6 agenda listed several public hearings and action items:

• Rezone 0.741 acres at 109 Railroad Street from Light-Industrial to Central Business District.
• Annex and rezone 48.192 acres along Ball Ground Highway and Fate Conn Road for a 167-unit subdivision.
• Public hearing on the FY 2027 millage rate.
• Consideration of a fee waiver for Canton First United Methodist Church construction.
• Discussion of extending Downtown Entertainment District boundaries.

Minutes from this meeting are not yet available, so no outcomes are known.

Board of Appeals

The Board of Appeals held a work session July 27 to review two variance requests and draft minutes from June 22 and July 13. The board will hold a public hearing Aug. 10 on the same two requests:

• VAR2606-002: Eliminate a landscape buffer abutting RA-6 and vary residential driveway standards at 791 Marietta Road.
• VAR2606-003: Reduce the required setback for accessory structures from 10 feet to 0 feet in side and rear yards at 771 East Main Street.

Minutes from the July 27 session have not been published.

Historic Preservation Commission

The Historic Preservation Commission met Aug. 3 to review a demolition and reconstruction request for a deck at 570 East Main Street and to discuss proposed updates to the Historic District Design Guidelines. The agenda also included approval of the meeting agenda and minutes and public input. No minutes have been published.

Canton Main Street Board

The Canton Main Street Board met Aug. 5 to consider a facade grant application for 361 E Main Street, approve June minutes, and approve a June/July reimbursement to the City of Canton. The board also discussed the Downtown Business Contact Postcard, Taste of Canton, and the Downtown Breakfast Club scheduled for Aug. 6 at 8:00 a.m. Minutes are not yet available.

Coming up

Two meetings are scheduled for Aug. 10:

• **Board of Appeals** – Public hearing on the two variance requests listed above, plus approval of draft minutes from June 22 and July 13.
• **Canton Tourism Board** – Review of the proposed 2027 budget, consideration of sponsorship applications for the 2026 Riverfest and Denim Fest, discussion of a History Cherokee partnership regarding the Salty Dog mascot, and review of the marketing plan. The meeting is at City Hall.

All meeting agendas and minutes are available through the city's official channels.

Canton boards set FY2027 budget hearings, review gateway projects and variance requests

Canton's City Council has scheduled public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2027 millage rate and proposed budget, highlighting a busy two-week stretch across several city boards and commissions. All meetings listed below had agendas published but minutes were not yet available as of this report, so items reflect what boards planned to consider rather than final actions taken.

City Council: FY2027 budget and millage rate

The Canton City Council scheduled public hearings for July 16 on the Fiscal Year 2027 millage rate and the proposed budget and fee schedule. Finance Director Ryan Luckett was set to present the millage rate proposal, with residents invited to comment during the hearing.

The council agenda also included a proposed Right of Entry Agreement with Georgia Power, an amendment to the School Safety Zone Maps, and a Georgia Power Company Underground Easement and Lighting Service Agreement for South Canton Park. No vote tallies or dollar amounts were listed in the agenda materials.

Downtown Development Authority: Gateway projects and hotel RFP

The Downtown Development Authority agenda for July 8 included updates on two redevelopment efforts: the North Street Gateway Redevelopment Project and the Hickory Flat Highway Gateway Project.

The authority also planned to discuss the Downtown Hotel RFP and review quotes for hazardous material remediation at the Cherokee North Property. An item regarding reimbursement to the City for expenses was also listed.

Board of Appeals: Setback variance request

The Board of Appeals scheduled a July 13 review of a request from PHP Canton, LLC regarding accessory structures at 310 Prominence Point Parkway. The proposal, listed as VAR2605-001, seeks to allow accessory structures within the front yard and to reduce the required rear yard setback from 10 feet to 5 feet.

Historic Preservation Commission: Design requests and guideline updates

On July 6, the Historic Preservation Commission was set to consider several Certificate of Appropriateness design requests:

• Mixed-use development at 261 East Main Street
• Porch and ramp extension at 250 Jarvis Street
• Carport at 168 Railroad Street

The commission also planned a discussion on proposed updates to the Historic District Design Guidelines.

Cultural Arts Commission: Sculpture and utility box projects

The Cultural Arts Commission's July 8 agenda included updates on the Heritage Park at Waleska Street Bridge Sculpture Project, a Utility Box Project, and future sculpture projects. The commission also planned preparations for a July 16 board presentation to the City Council.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings were listed for the next 14 days. Residents seeking the latest schedule should check the City of Canton's official meeting calendar, as additional meetings may be posted after this report was prepared.

Canton boards set FY2027 budget hearings, West Main Street contract, and zoning cases

Canton's City Council and several advisory boards met or are scheduled to meet in early July, with agendas centered on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and millage rate, a $1,342,439 pedestrian corridor contract, and multiple land-use cases. Because minutes have not yet been published for the recent meetings, the items below reflect what was on each agenda, not what was ultimately decided.

City Council — July 2

The Council agenda listed a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 millage rate and the proposed budget and fee schedule. Members were scheduled to consider rezoning approximately 177 acres at Sam Nelson Road and Talcmine Drive from mixed-use to single-family residential.

The agenda also included awarding $1,342,439 to Wilson Construction Management for the West Main Street Pedestrian Corridor project, a text amendment to the Unified Development Code covering artisan and small-scale manufacturing uses, and discussion of annexation and rezoning for approximately 176 acres along Old Shoal Creek Road for a proposed 199-lot subdivision.

Historic Preservation Commission — July 6

The Commission was scheduled to review three Certificate of Appropriateness design requests: a mixed-use development at 261 East Main Street, a porch and ramp extension at 250 Jarvis Street, and a carport at 168 Railroad Street. The agenda also included proposed updates to the Historic District Design Guidelines.

Cultural Arts Commission — July 8

The Commission agenda covered updates on the Heritage Park at Waleska Street Bridge Sculpture Project, a Utility Box Project, and future sculpture projects. Members were also scheduled to prepare for a July 16 Board Presentation to Council.

Downtown Development Authority — July 8

The Authority agenda included updates on the North Street Gateway Redevelopment Project and the Hickory Flat Highway Gateway Project. Members were set to discuss the Downtown Hotel RFP, quotes for hazardous material remediation at the Cherokee North Property, and reimbursement to the City for expenses.

Coming up

• **Board of Appeals — July 13:** Review of VAR2605-001, a request from PHP Canton, LLC regarding accessory structures at 310 Prominence Point Parkway, including a proposal to allow structures in the front yard and reduce the rear yard setback from 10 feet to 5 feet.
• **City Council — July 16:** Public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2027 millage rate and the proposed budget and fee schedule. Finance Director Ryan Luckett is scheduled to present the millage rate proposal. The agenda also includes a proposed Right of Entry Agreement with Georgia Power, an amendment to the School Safety Zone Maps, and a Georgia Power Company Underground Easement and Lighting Service Agreement for South Canton Park.

Note: All recent meetings listed above are marked "agenda only" in the official record, meaning minutes have not yet been published. Outcomes, vote tallies, and any final dollar amounts will be confirmed when minutes become available.